Genesis 17 – The Covenant of Circumcision
Timeline:1898 BC
|
|
Twenty-three years prior, God promised Abram that he would have so many descendants that they could not be numbered and that he would be the biological father. Thirteen years prior, Abram fathered Ishmael. God told Hagar in chapter 16 that her descendants would be so numerous that they could not be counted. Until this chapter, God did not specify that Sarai would bear Abram's promised child and so he probably assumed God had fulfilled His covenant through Ishmael. God also promised to make Abram the father of many nations. Indeed, the descendants of both Ishmael and Isaac became nations. Genesis 17:1-8 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God." In the Old Testament, names had been changed as a way of establishing a new identity or purpose for them. God revealed Himself to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" (Yahweh), a name signifying his eternal and—self-existent nature. Now He appeared once again and introduced Himself as Almighty God (El Shaddai) – which literally means "the God that is enough". Very often, people believe that God tells Moses to walk before Him and be sinless. Of course no one is without sin. The word "Blameless" refers to people who cannot be accused of wrongdoing before God or people (Psalm 15:2; 18:23). In other words, live a life that is pleasing to God and do not sin intentionally. In Psalm 19:13 David is praying for protection from committing willful sins. God told Abram to be blameless, and then repeated his promise. He renamed Abram, which means "father of many", to Abraham which means "father of multitudes". God added the Hebrew letter "hey" (ה) which is often associated with breath, spirit, or revelation at the end of his name, signifying his new identity and purpose. The word "father" refers to a physical father, grandfather or great-grandfather and even to a generation. Notice that God promises Abraham will be the father of nations – plural. Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation. In addition, Romans 4:16 emphasizes that the promise he received from God is guaranteed to all who have the faith of Abraham. Arab nations also trace their lineage back to Abraham through Ishmael. Genesis 17:9-14 God also said to Abraham, "You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you. This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring. Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." Circumcision had been practiced by the nations all around that part of the world. It is a cutting away from the flesh which was to be done on the 8th day. For the first four days after birth, an infant has a limited amount of vitamin K and clotting factors in its blood. On day five, the level increases reaching the maximum level on day eight before it levels off. As it turns out circumcision provides clear medical benefits, offering a rationale for the practice that goes beyond religious ceremony. For example, in recent years, biomedical researchers have discovered that circumcision helps prevent the spread of AIDS, cancer of the penis and cervical cancer. God told Abraham to circumcise every male who was born in his household as well as those who were bought. Ishmael was 13 when he was circumcised. Abraham will now have to meet his obligations to keep the promise for his child. God used this social practice as a sign of redemption. Likewise, baptism did not begin with John the Baptist, but God uses it as an outward sign of our faith in Jesus. When viewed through a restoration lens, circumcision was a reminder, held in the place of the body most closely related to having children. Isaac was quite literally born of God's promise. He was the seed of Abraham's body. Genesis 17:15-16 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her." God also renamed Sarai which means "my lady, or my princess", a personal identity to Sarah, adding the same Hebrew letter (ה) identifying her as the mother of nations. In these verses, God made it clear that the promised son would come from Sarah.
Genesis 17:17-18 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!" God waited until it was impossible for them to conceive because only then it could be a miraculous response to God's promise. Abraham believed God (Romans 4:3) and his laughter seemed to be one of joy. However it was clouded with his concern for his first-born son, Ishmael. After all, Hagar had been told that he would be the father of many nations, but Isaac is to be the heir of promise. Abraham prays that Ishmael may share the promise with Isaac. Genesis 17:19-22 But God replied, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year." When He had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. God made it clear that the covenant blessings were reserved for Isaac, and appropriated only to him. God told Sarah she was going to be "a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her". Isaac will receive the blessing of many nations and kings. God instructed Abraham to name their child Isaac which means laughter in reference to the various emotions of surprise and delight with which his parents regarded his birth. God, however, acknowledged Abraham's request and promised that Ishmael would be the father of 12 rulers (not kings) and a great nation, singular. His sons inhabited Havilah to Shur, and from Egypt to Assyria. (Map of Arabia.) History has illustrated the warlike temperament of the Arabian people. God had finished talking with Abraham and went up from him indicating that He appeared in a visible, and very likely in human form (Theophany). The very next year, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. Genesis 17:23-27 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham's household—and he circumcised them, just as God had told him. So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, and his son Ishmael was thirteen; Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. And all the men of Abraham's household—both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners—were circumcised with him. Abraham did as God had instructed and every male in his household, including his servants, were circumcised. Abraham was ninety-nine years old and Ismael was thirteen. Romans 4:11-12 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. |
